Episode 140: Tuning Out Noise, Tuning In Purpose — Using Nature to Reclaim Your Focus

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Welcome to another episode of K-12 Education Untangled.
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My name is Dr Kim J Fields, former corporate manager turned education researcher and advocate, and I'm the host of this podcast.
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I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African American mom raising my two kids, who were in the public school system.
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I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system.
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Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their education and progress.
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This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take.
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It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of mother wisdom on top.
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If you're looking to find out more about current information and issues in public education that could affect you and your children, and the action steps that you can take to give your children the advantages they need, then you're in the right place.
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Thanks for tuning in today.
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I know that staying informed about K-12 public education trends and topics is important to you, so keep listening.
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Give me 30 minutes and I'll untangle the latest trends, issues and topics pertaining to this constantly evolving K-12 public education environment.
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In this episode, I'll be sharing my thoughts on using the beauty of nature to tune out the noise of our modern world and to focus on what matters.
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In today's world, we're bombarded by a constant stream of notifications, news alerts and the endless scroll of social media feeds and the endless scroll of social media feeds.
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But amidst this discord, how do we cut through the noise to focus on what truly matters?
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Join me in this episode as I explore the transformative power of clarity and intention.
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I share ways to discover insights and practical strategies to reclaim your focus, align with your passions and make a meaningful impact in your life.
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Get ready to tune out the chaos and tune into your heartfelt intentions.
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Let's untangle this.
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Do you set intentions?
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What are your daily intentions, weekly intentions, monthly intentions or even life intentions?
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I made an intention a couple of months ago to be more diligent in keeping up my reading habit.
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Since I'm on that journey, I thought I'd share some ideas from a book I recently read by Jeff Karp, called Lit.
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It's about using nature's playbook to spark energy, ideas and action.
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Here are my key findings from this book and how they can be useful for you.
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The book is basically about learning how to break freeition Tools, which are a collection of practices that help you stay sharp, creative and focused on what's important.
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There are four main ideas.
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One flipping the lit switch.
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It's basically when you feel ignited, keenly focused and fired up.
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Feeling energized in this way is a very real physiological condition that fuels creativity and productivity.
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Every reaction we have, whether to our environment or our thoughts, affect our energy levels.
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Two things that can help turn the light on our lit state of mind One, to be aware of low energy and two, to recognize that the brain has an incredible ability to change.
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When your brain is slow to make new connections that lead to better habits, you're probably dealing with low energy brain or LEB mode.
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This is the state that we fall into when we are on autopilot or just performing routine patterns without thinking about it.
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When you're stuck in low energy brain, you lose the capacity for creative and purposeful action.
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You can flip the switch by recognizing the impact that habits have on our lives and the decisions that we make on a daily basis.
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There are four steps involved in creating new and better habits.
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Those are to minimize resistance, maximize rewards leverage momentum and pace yourself.
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Rewards leverage momentum and pace yourself.
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What are the obstacles that stand in the way of you feeling energized and engaged?
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What kind of rewards make you feel motivated to push away the comforts of low energy mode?
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A small change that you can make in your morning habit is to start the day with 10 minutes of quiet awareness through prayer, meditation, spiritual texts, etc.
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Instead of constant media consumption.
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The goal is to just make small steps toward a more energized, engaged and purposeful life and letting those actions build momentum.
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Two addressing pain points with purpose.
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A pain point is basically anything that causes friction in the process.
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Switching to lit mode requires that you identify your pain points rather than avoiding them and digging into them to get to the bottom of what would motivate you and prevent you from being at your best.
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This involves self-awareness, which is a critical step in becoming more lit.
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A lit brain is one that's trained to seek diverse experiences and seize opportunities.
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To seek diverse experiences and seize opportunities.
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Engaging with people from different backgrounds can lead to more creative and effective solutions.
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It's important to stay curious and open to surprises, because new ideas can spark that sense of joy.
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The key here is not to live life on autopilot whenever you can, but to step back, pause and think before acting.
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This pause allows you to decide if your actions really align with your goals and values.
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Doing things like getting out in nature, going for a walk or switching tasks can refresh and refocus you and generate new energy.
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These things can help to remind you of your goals and why they're important, which connects you with the emotional energy that drives you.
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Three, appreciating movement and failure.
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One of the most meaningful things that you can do to boost your energy is to move.
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Let's face it, we don't incorporate enough movement in our lives on a daily basis.
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Modern life is made up way too easy for us to stay seated in a chair, lounging on the sofa, staring at a screen all day long, and this is a huge problem because it simultaneously and seriously drains your physical and mental energy and keeps you locked in low energy brain mode.
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Movement can include walking, running, dancing or yoga.
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Include walking, running, dancing or yoga.
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The fact is that most of us spend about 90% of our time indoors and just don't get enough physical activity.
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This lack of movement contributes to serious health issues and high health care costs.
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Think about your pain points and your habits to overcome inertia and just get moving.
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Start small, remove obstacles and reward yourself.
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Small, consistent efforts build satisfaction and confidence, which in turn spill over and improve other areas of your life.
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Even if you're just adding more reps to a workout or setting aside time to practice the piano, these routines strengthen both your body and your mind.
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Repetition actually changes your brain's chemistry.
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Over time.
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It allows you to accomplish tasks with more ease and efficiency.
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The thing with practice, though, is that you got to switch it up sometimes in order to keep your brain stimulated and keep you engaged.
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Have you ever tried brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand?
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What about adding new songs to your playlist on a regular basis?
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Simple changes like these can make a difference, because they can spark new ideas and unexpected opportunities for growth.
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They also go hand in hand with thinking differently about failure.
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The truth of the matter is that failure is an intrinsic part of growth and innovation.
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So, instead of fearing failure, see it as a valuable tool for learning and improvement.
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Embrace failure as part of success and a part of the process.
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And although failure hurts, it can be a powerful teacher.
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In order to succeed, you must first learn to fail.
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And number four, nature's energy and inspiration.
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I mentioned earlier about the importance of movement and new experiences, but it's worth noting that silence and solitude can be equally valuable.
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Mindfulness practices can produce unexpected results and benefits.
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Simple practices like focusing on your breath can shift your nervous system from reactive to restful.
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Taking breaks is essential for truly restorative breaks.
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Resist the urge to fill it with busy work tasks.
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Instead, fully engage in the present moment.
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Getting out in nature can provide restorative and energizing benefits.
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Nature can provide solutions to a problem that you may be trying to solve.
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All you have to do is look around you.
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There's a good chance that nature has already designed an elegant solution that could inspire your breakthrough.
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Get connected with nature in whatever way you can.
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For example, if you live in an apartment in the city, create a window box garden.
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If you live near a park, explore different areas of the park that may not be obvious when you first enter the park.
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When you recognize your park in the greater ecosystem of the world, you begin to see the power we all have in keeping it functioning and in good health.
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A lit mind is a compassionate mind compassionate toward the planet and other human beings.
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The best way to grow that compassion is to embrace your vulnerabilities and share your struggles with others, like close friends or family.
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You can create space where others feel comfortable by doing the same.
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What often happens is that we tend to cocoon ourselves to cope with life's noise, but to truly thrive, we need to embrace interconnections and diverse perspectives.
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While solitude is sometimes necessary, it's also important to be aware of what you block out, because this can help you stay open to chance encounters and connections that lead to a more enriching life.
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Grounding ourselves in nature, embracing our role in the ecosystem and connecting with others through compassion and mindful actions in light of our own lives and the world around us is important.
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There are a number of ways in which you can break free from the monotony of modern life in order to invigorate your mind, body and creative spirit.
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Experiment to find out what works best for you and make that happen.
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The lit mind starts with recognizing the obstacles that are currently holding you back and then reaffirming your commitment to your true passions.
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Reflect on what energizes your day, from work and family to time outdoors and relaxation.
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Seek different kinds of diverse input that lead to making new connections, and remember the importance of movement, practice and doing new and different things.
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Don't let the fear of failure hold you back.
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Instead, respond with humility and compassion.
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This type of work often requires reflections on your intentions and guides your actions, which can lead to a life of more inspiration.
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The insights and practical strategies I mentioned align with various teachings on focus and passion that are evident in various educational resources.
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This book Lit highlights some overarching principles that align with those found in many inspiring and motivational books.
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Some of those highlights include mindfulness and practice.
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Mindfulness helps you center yourself in the present moment, which is critical to reducing distractions and enhancing clarity.
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Setting goals and prioritizing values is another aspect of what the book highlights.
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Defining clear, actionable goals and ensuring they align with your personal values helps maintain focus and ensures actions are purpose-driven.
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This is a cornerstone of many self-help and success strategies.
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Another principle is structured routines to enhance focus.
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Creating routines that foster daily progress towards your goals ensures that the key tasks are prioritized.
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A fourth principle includes limiting distractions and harnessing tools tools.
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The use of digital applications to minimize distractions and time wasters helps to maintain a focused work environment.
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Yet another principle is purposeful reflection and alignment.
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The importance of reflection, whether through journaling or other means, is to ensure that daily efforts align with long-term aspirations.
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And the final principle that I'll mention is the power of saying no.
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Setting boundaries and not over committing to things you really aren't interested in doing supports the empowerment that comes from refusing tasks or commitments that don't align with your goals, allowing more focus on valuable endeavors.
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This is an area that I recently had to deal with in joining an online book club.
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As you know, I love reading, so discussing books with other book lovers is a natural attraction for me.
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However, the time spent reading the book, making my notes about each chapter and spending that hour and a half to two hours for the meeting takes me away from more focused and valuable tasks, like enhancing my brand and building my business, so I had to decline the invitation to rejoin the group.
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Is this something that you struggle with?
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Also, what have you recently said no to and how did you feel about your decision afterwards?
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As is the usual case with these personal, thought-provoking episodes, I end with relevant quotes or a clean joke.
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I share this joke for your amusement.
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Little Johnny comes down to breakfast.
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Since they live on a farm, his mother asks if he has done his chores.
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Not yet, said little Johnny.
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His mother tells him he can't have any breakfast until he does his chores.
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Well, he's mad.
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So he goes to feed the chickens and he kicks a chicken.
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He goes to feed the cows and he kicks a cow.
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He goes to slop the pigs and he kicks a cow.
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He goes to slop the pigs and he kicks a pig.
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He goes back in for breakfast and his mother gives him a bowl of dry cereal.
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How come I don't get any eggs and bacon?
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Why don't I have any milk in my cereal, he asks.
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Well, his mother says I saw you kick a chicken, so you don't get any eggs for a week.
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I saw you kick the pig, so you don't get any bacon for a week either.
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I also saw you kick the cows, so for a week you aren't getting any milk.
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Just then his father comes down for breakfast and trips over then kicks the cat as he's walking into the kitchen.
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Little Johnny looks up at his mother with a smirk and says are you going to tell him, or should I?
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Did you enjoy this episode?
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Then recommend my podcast to a friend directly on social media and tag my show in the post.
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Also, I invite you to discover other episodes in my library.
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There are many topics in which I discuss a number of things.
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So check out another episode and remember new episodes come out every Tuesday.
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Thanks for listening today.
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I hope you'll come back for more K-12 educational discussions with even more exciting topics to untangle.
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Until next time, aim to learn something new every day.